I know this sounds like a really weird post, especially since I normally don't care about stores or have any particular allegiances to brands or anything (other than Trader Joe's and Whole Foods :-). But I have always been a bookworm, and I've been going to Borders ever since I was 16 years old (so for thirteen years now). Borders has always been our place to go every week for a break; we can't afford to go out to eat or do many other activities, but we always went to Borders for coffee and to sit and read (and buy books whenever something we really wanted was published). And now they are closing down. Even my kids are sad about it closing, since they also love the bookstore and we've spent so much time there over the past few years.
I don't get it. Isn't there enough room for two major bookstore chains in this country? Why does Borders have to close? :-( This is the first time I've ever been sad about a store closing. And it's also scary, because it seems like another sign that the economy isn't really getting any better since the recession started.
So am I the only crazy one who's sad about Borders closing? :-)
I'm sad too about this. A new Borders went up in my neighborhood 2 years ago and now it's closing which means another vacant semi-new building.:( I think with all these new gadgets out there like Kindle, Ipad, etc.--bookstores and libraries may become a thing of the past:(
Yes, it's very sad.
I'm always sad when a bookstore closes. But unfortunately, I'm one of the many to blame. I've never had the time to go to bookstores. I've always bought my books online. Before Amazon came a long I only used the library for the most part and didn't hit a bookstore more than once or twice per year. Now I read almost exclusively digital books on my Sony or on my computer.
Yes! The closing of the Borders in downtown Ann Arbor is causing a big stir around here, people are not happy about it! I thought that place would be around forever. It is so sad that so many businesses are having to close. What's next? Starbucks? McDonald's? (Yeah, like that would ever happen!)
I guess I'll just have to get used to Barnes and Noble. :-)
It is a sad sign of the times... both the economy falling apart, and the advent of e-books. As a graphic designer who designed printed materials for my entire career, I'm seeing that the demise of print is eminent. In the pursuit of cheap quick environmentally friendly communication, we've abandoned the beauty of books. I love PRINT. the feel of the paper, the smell of the ink on the page, not having to stare at a glaring screen.... I guess if more of us were passionate about reading there wouldn't be a problem, but sadly I think avid readers are a dying breed too... nobody takes time to enjoy a book cover to cover, or to get there news from a paper... we tweet, fb.... heck... look at us now communicating via mamapedia....
It makes me sad too... and I think we'll see more of this happening....
I'm sad but I'm not surprised. We love going to browse, but every time I find a book I like, I know that I can get it cheaper on Amazon and usually with free shipping. Plus, many times the only copy they have there is bent or scratched. I also can't go to find anything specific, they never have it. They do have lots of fun gifty things and their bargain section always has some neat buys.
I can see WHY they're closing, but I'm still sad because we love to browse!
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I am sad for the thousands of people that will no longer have jobs in the already tough economy.
Read an article on MSNBC yesterday about the closings, then another that announced how several large corporations showed gains in the last quarter - turns out their gains were from overseas expansions. More overseas jobs were created than jobs in the US. - McDonald's is one of these.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43860044/ns/business-stocks_a...
Article Title: A boom in corporate profits, a bust in jobs, wages
My favorite line:
In the 2000s, they added 2.4 million jobs in foreign countries and cut 2.9 million jobs in the United States, according to the Commerce Department.
With this kind of "support" from large corporations we will never see unemployment rates drop and more and more Americans will face foreclosures and hard times.
Aw, you are not alone, I am sad too. =(
I order lots of books from Borders and was trying to order some last night and that's when I found out they are closing the stores (online to remain active). From what I read they are filing bankruptcy so they may open under a new name as business' usually do. =)
I didnt read the other posts so sorry if this is duplicative. I think they are not all closing. They filed Chapter 13 bankruptcy which is a corporate reorganization therefore only some of the actual stores will close. Also, there are many nice public libraries out there, some of which even have coffee bars in them (and you can check books out for free... I guess I never completely understood why people bought books they could read for free...sorry for my digression).
Maybe you can find a small, local bookstore that could use your patronage - I always like supporting mom and pop type stores...
I do find it sad, especially since there is one that is the closest bookstore to where I live, and it's a Michigan-based company, and the bad economy has hit harder here. There was just an article in the Detroit Free Press about Border's closing, and how unfortunately, decisions that were made along the way may have lead to it's downfall. Such as, branching out to offer CDs and DVDs at a time when more people are not buying CDs anymore and instead downloading songs and albums onto iPods. Barnes and Noble came out with their own digital reader, the Nook, so by downloading reading material, it is still providing income to them. Sometimes shopping on-line is more convenient and it's hard for me to get out of the house sometimes just to go browse at a bookstore. I've been more apt to take my daughter (almost 4) to the library, since we can get "new" books all the time and it doesn't cost anything. But before she was born, especially when I was still single, I used to spend hours browsing in bookstores, getting a coffee for myself and not worrying about what time I had to be home. I was sad to see some beloved individually owned "mom and pop" bookstores fall by the wayside too over the years, but maybe now some of them can start making a comeback. I used to live in Worcester MA, right up the street from Tatnuck Bookseller, and it was a sad day for me when they went out of business.
It is not surprising, though... People download books now. I use the library. I love books, but I can't afford to purchase them. I did use our Borders to get the exam review books and flashcards for the kids. I liked going in and browsing the clearance aisle.
It is a sad time, but their mismanagement caused all this mess.
LBC
Sad? Are ya kidding me! I literally CRIED when I went in to shop about 6 months ago! It is soo sad that they are all closing down! Thats like my kid's version of Toy's R' Us! I also knew the majority of the people working there so we had a friendly relationship. The thing that made me even more sad was that alot of the workers were scattering around looking for another job! That definately broke my heart especially with the way the economy is. But i'm with you and I agree! I also heard that Barns and noble is going to close too! :( It's like now whats left?! Sooooooo SAD!
Makes our whole family so completely sad!!! Buying a book online cannot compare to the whole experience of going to the bookstore with your family , reading through books together, picking out your favorites (sometimes after hours!) , having a coffee or hot chocolate. Heaven!
But online purchasing of books is more profitable with less overhead costs -- and apparently preferred by customers (not us!!!!) because it's convenient.
So a wonderful family outing is now kaput. It's not just the closing of a bookstore -- it's the end of a whole shared family experience ( some of our favorite times have been spent in a bookstore as a family -- sharing books, with our kids snuggled up on our laps).
So I guess if we don't want all the bookstores to close -- we need to be ordering less online and more directly from the stores themselves.
But we feel your pain -- definitely an emotional event for our family as well.
It isn't about having two large companies. Borders is going under because they really didn't sell anything besides books until the past few years. Who really buys books nowadays? If you think about it, not enough people buy books. We have kindles, ipods, phones that do anything we want them to do, etc. Books are turning into the thing of the past generations and Borders, unfortunately, didn't get that memo in time.
I love Borders and it is sad to see them go. Kind of like the end of an era.
I always hate to see a bookstore close, but I've always liked Barnes and Noble better. However, I wish they could both exist! What I really miss and hate to see close are independent book stores. We still have some in Atlanta, and I try to buy from them. One, Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, is FABULOUS if anyone in Atlanta is reading this and has never been. Mainly dedicated to children's books, it is a wonderland to visit with your child and they have tons of author readings and whatnot all the time. What I really miss is the old Oxford Books in Buckhead. That place was heaven!
I would be more upset if we had one locally. We have Hastings and Books A Million.We used to have a B.Dalton and it went out, and that made me sad. I do not tend to buy a lot of books though, I buy second hand or I borrow from the library...I buy more books for the kids than I do for myself, and even those I tend to purchase from places that sell them at a discount.
But, no I do not think you are crazy : ) I have been sad about similar things as well.
I am devastated. I love to read. Borders is my favorite store. We do not have any other bookstores close to me unless you go a couple towns over. I am scared about it closing not only because of the economy but because it seems everyone is going to the e-reader type things. I am visually impaired. I buy large print books. I HATE HATE HATE those e reader type things. Where in the world will I get my books. I know that barnes and noble will still be open but don't even have one of those anywhere close to us. very sad about this.
no, you arent!
i am soooo sad! we used to hang out in there too, when my kids were little! we would go straight to the kids section and we would pick out books and all our friends used to get us borders gift cards!
you're right about it being scary too. sometimes i feel like most of us (Americans) haven't yet felt the full blow of the economic downfall. kind of like something worse is coming?
hey, i just noticed youre from lomita! i grew up there, lived there for 15 years!
I'm sad because I occasionally like to browse the bargain section and snag great deals on giant history and science books for our homeschool. I mostly prefer to shop Amazon though, because I can get just about any book I want.
We are headed out to the store today to see if we can find some good deals, and to see what their bookshelves are going for!
Barnes and Noble is struggling, too. It may be the end of an era, but perhaps it'll reopen some opportunities for the mom and pop bookstores that were being choked out by the big box stores!
I'm sad! I always loved Borders. I go to Barnes & Noble, too, but Borders was always better. I am not happy about it closing. : (
Hi.. Yes, I, too, am upset about the closing of Borders. For us, it's even worse because our town (Carson City, NV) has only ONE true book store. You guessed it - it's Borders. So when it closes, we "get" to drive 35 miles into Reno to get the bookstore experience. >:-( My children LOVE going to Borders and are quite upset that we will have to order online or order through their schools for books. It's a sad state of affairs that our country is in. Gas prices are too expensive (not to mention the hassle of rounding everyone up for the drive).
So, if you are crazy about being sad, well, you're not the only one.
L.
Nope I loved Borders. Not to mention the fact that now the closest bookstore is 45 minutes away and that's without DC traffic. I'm sad. But I'll be looking forward to hitting the sales.
I feel the same way. But was disappointed in thief closing sale.
I am bummed too. I like the woman that works the kids area. I like the coffee. There is no other book store close. I like real books from real stores. It is a shame.
I'm sad also. Borders was a fun place to browse and they had a good clearance section. Ours has a coffee shop attached to it so I would buy a book and then have some tea. Kinda a guilty pleasure!
It's really sad to see a book store close. Scary as well...
